Business boom in Greenville, SC, the new Start-Up hub

Once the textile capital of the world, Greenville, South Carolina has been forced to innovate its way out of a dying industry. It is the city most people dream of: vibrant, small-town hype, shops and award-winning restaurants, strong support for business, and a well-rounded, diverse community of professionals, top universities, and corporations.

Greenville has devoted decades to creating a community that is appealing to college graduates and high-skilled workers, with access to technology and research talent from nearby Clemson University and state-of-the-art manufacturing plants turning out Michelin tires and BMWs.

With top players like GE Power, Fluor, Bausch & Lomb, Samsung Networks America, Eurokera, Kyocera Mita, Mitsubishi, Saint Gobain, Ahold, Magna, Bosch Rexroth, Pierburg, Nutra, and Michelin, Greenville’s culture of risk-taking and its network of investors ready to fund early-stage businesses create a robustly unique environment!

According to Bloomberg Business Week

Greenville’s leaders can rightly claim they have a success on their hands. In per capita terms, the city’s rate of new business creation approaches that of Boston, one of the country’s hotbeds of innovation.

The Greenville area’s corporational development and business recruitment efforts focus on key, target-industry segments. Offering an ideal balance of skilled workforce, essential infrastructure, pro-business atmosphere, optimal quality of life, and other corporate relocation advantages, Greenville, SC is uniquely positioned to respond to the needs of these target industries.

The dynamic, pro-business climate in Greenville, SC is supported by corporate tax incentives, workforce development programs, an entrepreneurial network of resources, and other features designed to give area businesses a competitive advantage in the global marketplace. The Chamber of Commerce, as well as Greenville’s vast system of networking programs, offer a diverse lineup of events available to those seeking to grow and enhance their business within this city.

Many small business owners in the restaurant industry are opening second and third locations, due to initial successes and the demand of their customers. The city is growing faster than ever, bringing great economic support, as well as vast improvement to infrastructure to keep up with the demand.

A few of the many benefits of living and working or investing in Greenville, SC are:

Taxes, Incentives & Training

The area provides aggressive incentives to support projects in Greenville, SC – corporate tax incentives, cash reimbursements, accelerated depreciation, and many others. Learn More

The Jobs Tax Credit is a valuable incentive that rewards new and expanding business owners for creating jobs in South Carolina. These companies must create and maintain a certain number of net new jobs in a taxable year.

International Appeal

Greenville is a hub for international business, with more than 350 international companies located in the region and the highest foreign investment per capita in the country.

Fun Facts:

  •   Approximately 230 different international firms from 27 countries have a major presence in Greenville County.
  •     From 2010 to 2018, more than 76 companies opened new or expanded facilities or offices in Greenville County, totalling over $1.4 billion in capital investment.

Many newcomers and international workers that come for 3-5 year assignments find great community in the Upstate International (www.upstateinternational.org) organization, which offers many services to internationals designed to integrate cultures and help them get involved in the community.

  • Language classes are offered in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, and English as a second language.
  • Upstate International provides national contacts in the Greenville area for over 20 different countries around the globe.
  • Their Ambassadors Program provides personal assistance to newcomers.

Many other international associations are located in the Greenville area, like:

Aside from the abundance of professional avenues for newcomers and natives to explore, Greenville is saturated by limitless possibilities. The natural surroundings – the mountains, golf courses, and parks – to the revolving events – food and cultural festivals, free family gatherings, weekly concerts, swim teams, and activities give the city an unsurpassed quality of life! Greenville has established itself as a cultural sensation with a wide variety of museums, theaters, symphonies, and performing arts centers making their home in the area.

Greenville has outdoor space for everyone! You can ride or walk the 15 mile Swamp Rabbit trail through downtown, and stop at Falls Park to admire the suspension bridge and natural waterfalls. Visit the Cancer Survivor park, dedicated to those who have survived or have had family members go through the turmoil of cancer.

There is a zoo downtown and within the neighboring Cleveland Park, there’s plenty of open space for your dog friends to enjoy at the dog park. For cycling enthusiasts, bike lanes are clearly marked throughout the downtown area, with more being added all the time. Right now, the Swamp Rabbit Trail is being expanded through the Cancer Survivor park, where you can view many monuments and art installations as well as historical stops. Want to take a hike? Beautiful Paris Mountain State Park is 20 minutes away, and it’s just a short drive to the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Startups and Investors are equally getting the grip of what Greenville is now getting into: A hub for new business and top quality life!